


Getting to know you

by StephySketchy



Series: Time after time [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Dancer winry, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22804510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StephySketchy/pseuds/StephySketchy
Summary: “What made you want to do this?”“Do what?”“Automail. Fixing people.”“...I’m not fixing people. People don’t need to be fixed. If you don’t have a limb, it doesn’t mean you’re broken"
Relationships: Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell, Trisha Elric/Van Hohenheim
Series: Time after time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639399
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Getting to know you

**Author's Note:**

> So this is set before the main story Got Your Dancing Shoes where they're 22. The first part going to be about 2 months into when they first met and the second part is about a year later so they're around the 17/18 age. You'll see what I mean.

“What made you want to do this?”

“Do what?”

“Automail. Fixing people.”

“...I’m not _fixing_ people. People don’t need to be fixed. If you don’t have a limb, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. I make this because sometimes people just need a little something extra to help them with something. Not having Automail doesn’t make you any _less_ capable than other people.” Edward looked up at her and make eye contact. His gaze was fierce and unyielding and she was enraptured by it.

When she was 9 she had lost her leg because of a cut that got infected while she was on holiday. To stop the spread of the infection and poisoning of the blood, they amputated just below the knee. When she woke up from the operation and saw what was gone, she hadn’t cried. She hadn’t cried when the nurses looked down on her in pity. She hadn’t cried when a lot of her friends stopped coming to see her, afraid to upset her. She hadn’t cried when strangers walking by skirted around her. It took Winry 3 months to finally tell her grandmother she wanted to dance again. To tell her grandmother she wanted the Automail leg and when Pinako initially refused, saying she was to young and she couldn’t cope with it; that was what made her cry.

Her only family told her she couldn’t. Even if it was just temporary.

After she had developed more, her granny fitted her the leg and now she was well in her way to being a professional ballet dancer, but she had never been told “you’re capable without it" before.

Here before her was a 17 year old passive aggressive teenager, not pitying her in the slightest. Someone who was only interested in making a leg and not hearing a sob story.

It was refreshing to say the least.

“My mother was the reason.”

“...what?”

“My mother. The reason I work with Automail. When I...I was 13, I skipped a lot of school. I hung around the wrong people. One day...” Edward paused and leant back, he seemed to be contemplating if he should be saying what he was about to say. “One day the group I was hanging around with got into a fight with another group and someone got badly hurt. You don’t have to look like that, they were fine eventually. But what I remember the most was not my father yelling at me, it was my mothers silence. Her disappoint in what I had taken part in. My father sent me to my room and that was that. It took mother over a week for her to speak to me.  
She said ‘Instead of causing damage, why don’t you make something to help someone instead. You’re more than capable.’ And I didn’t think much of it but it stayed there, niggling at the back of my brain.” Edward reached over and grabbed a wire off the table. Winry could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for him to continue. He shifted her leg and carried on.

“About a month later, dad was watching a programme on TV about Automail. I wasn’t paying attention but then they showed a schematic for a hand and wrist. Dad thought it was incredible but I laughed, it was such a stupid way to make the wrist. About 3 hours later i had drawn out an entire diagram for the wrist joint and hand. Dad called someone he knew and they took me on as an apprentice. Here I am 4 years later.”

“So...you were a little asshole when you were a kid.”

“Yep. I still am so be careful with this you hear me?” he shook the leg side to side in a mock threat which made her laugh.

“Yeah okay. Um... thanks... for saying I don’t need fixing.” She looked at him shyly and what surprised her a bit was to see his cheeks flush a bit.

“Only saying what’s fact.”

* * *

“Ed? Why are you here?” Winry and Pinako were at the hospital for a check up that afternoon. When they walked into the waiting room, she was shocked to see Edward sat with his head in his hands, tense and on edge. At the sound of her voice he looked up startled by her sudden appearance. He looked horrible, his eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his nose was red raw from being rubbed and his hair was a state. He had been crying a lot by the looks of it.

“W-" he coughed to clear his throat. “Winry, why are you here?” his voice was rough and sounded sore.

“Granny’s got a health che-"

“What’s happened Edward.” Pinako cut across her sharply. Ed looked blankly at the old woman before looking at a door leading to the ICU.

“Mum. She...she collapsed at home. Had a fit maybe, there was a lot of b...blood coming from her mouth. I think she bit her tongue. I’m waiting for dad to get there. Al isn’t here, he’s away. He doesn’t know.” Winry put her hand to her mouth in horror.

“Mrs Rockbell, Dr Castor is ready for you now.” A nurse said from an examination room. Pinako looked to Winry quickly. Befor gently pushing her towards the lost looking boy.

“Right then Winry, stay with Edward, keep him company while he waits for his father.” And with that she was gone. Winry walked over to the empty seat next to Ed and sat down, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t shrug her off so she took that to be a good sign and started to run her hand across his back in a soothing motion.

“I’m sure your dad will be here soon. How long have you been here for?” she asked quietly. For a moment he was silent and she actually started to doubt if he would reply.

“I’ve been here 2 hours. He works in the other hospital. Other side of the city.”

“Ah well it’s rush hour so it’s not surprising he’s been this long.”

“If you say so.”

There was something about his tone that made her uneasy. She pushed it aside and took a deep breath before taking his hand and squeezing. They sat in silence while they waited for either his father or a Doctor to show up.

“Edward!”

In the end, to Edwards surprise, it was Hohenheim. He came running up the stairs out of breath and dripping with sweat. She didn’t know why but she couldn’t believe how alike they looked.

“Son what happened?! Where is she?!” His voice shook as he frantically asked. Edward just pointed to the ICU. His father followed his direction and marched off. Winry too the opportunity the gran Edward and pull and hard as she could, chasing after the older man. They kept up easily and made it to a desk area where a nurse Rebecca was trying to calm Hohenheim down.

“I demand to see my wife! At least TELL me about her. What’s going on?!”

“They’re still trying to work out the problem sir, if you could go back out to the wai-"

“Rebecca, it’s okay, I can take it from here. Thanks, can you go give this to Mrs Melbourne in room 14 please?” the Blond Doctor held out a chart and a bottle of tablets. Winry held onto Edwards tense arm tightly and watched quietly.

“This way please. My name is Elizabeth Hawkeye and I am Trisha Elrics Doctor for the foreseeable future. I’ll take you to her, she’s awake and that way I can explain the situation to all of you. I will ask that only direct family members can come in, are these your children?”

“I’m their son, this is my friend. She’s coming in too” Edward said stubbornly.

"I’m sorry, your friend will have to go outside in the waiting room.” Dr Hawkeye gave him a piercing look from over the top of her glasses.

Winry rolled her eyes at Edward who grit his teeth together preparing himself for an argument. Before he could so much as open his mouth, she spoke up

“Ed it’s fine, I’ll wait outside. I won’t go anywhere. I promise.”

Dr Hawkeye and Hohenheim were already walking into the room where Trisha was. Ed gave her a thankful but sad glance and then he was gone.

\---

“Winry.”

She was being shaken awake. Pinako had left a while ago and agreed that if she said she would stay, she should stay. Her neck had gone stiff from where she had fallen into a light sleep sat upright. Her eyes snapped open and she was looking up into brilliant golden eyes.

“You stayed...” Edward muttered.

“I said I would. How’s your mum? Did they find out what’s wrong?” She asked calmly. Her heart clenched as she saw Edwards face scrunch up for a split second before he took a deep breath and spoke.

“She’s got stage two lung cancer. She’s going on chemotherapy straight away but apparently it attached itself to some lymph nodes so basically that’s it isn’t it, she’ll-" he was cut off by Winry standing up suddenly and pulling him into a tight hug. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t need to. Edward grabbed hold her in return and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She could feel him trembling as she stroked his back.

“It’s okay, sometimes it’s better to cry than to hold it in.” It was like a dam breaking, listening to him cry. They stood together for 10 minutes before he had finally calmed down and pulled back from her.

“...sorry about your jumper. T..thanks Winry, I shouldn’t have made you stay. It was highly unprofessional of me to do th-"

“That’s what friends are for.” She said simply with a small smile. “I need to get back for dinner, granny said you and your dad are welcome to come over for it. She kind of insisted to be honest.”

“Dad’s not leaving mum yet, he was worse than I was. But yeah, I’ll come around if you’re sure. I haven’t had anything all day.”

“Of course I’m sure! Go say see you later to your mum.”

Ten minutes later they were sat shoulder to shoulder at the bus stop waiting silently.

“What made you want to be a dancer.” Edward nudged her slightly with his shoulder to draw her attention. She made a humming sound while she thought.

“Nothing really. Granny said when I was 4 mum asked me if I wanted to do ballet or horse riding and I chose the first option. I used to hate it but I mum made me keep going. Eventually I liked it enough to keep going back by myself. After I lost my leg, I accepted I wouldn’t dance again but then Nelly, she’s my oldest friend, she used to do it too and kept _boasting_ how much better she was now and even with a new leg I wouldn’t be able to catch up. It sparked my stubborn streak and I told granny I wanted an Automail leg, we argued and she won. After a year, she said ‘you still want that leg?’ and now here I am, sat getting frost bite waiting for a bus with my short mechanic.”

“Bitch I’m not short, I’m just stocky.” He huffed, with no bite in his tone.

Winry laughed as she watched the cars go by.

“I’m sorry about your mum. If you or your family need anything, you know we’re here for you guys right?” she kept looking forward, watching her breath rise up into the light of the street lamp.

“Yeah. I know.”


End file.
